Plant-basket.



v A. LORD.

PLANT BASKET.

APPLIOATION TILED APR. 2a, 1902.

No. 726,079. PATENTED APR.[21,1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW LORD, OF -LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLANT -BASKET.

SPEOIFIOATIONfOrming part of Letters Patent No. 726,079, datedApril 2l, 1903.

Application filed April 2a, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW Loni), a itizen oftheUnited States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulPl-ant- Basket, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to plant-baskets.

It desirable that baskets for growing plants should be light,-ornamental, durable, and inexpensive. In order that the plants therein inayflourish, it is necessary that they should be constantly supplied with sufficient moisture,'while protected'from an excess thereof. The roots should be protected from overheating by the sunlight to which the baskets are exposed, but access of air to the earth should be facilitated in order that the roots may be properly ventilated. To attain these objects, the present invention contemplates the construction of a plant-basket-in which the lower partis of waterproof material adapted to collect the excess of water supplied to the soil in the basket, while overflow-vents are provided to prevent the water in the bottom of the basket from rising above a certain level. These vents serve also to facilitate ventilation of the soil. The body of the bas ket is constructed in two parts, so that the upper part may be made of heatnon-con' ducting material, while the lower part is of metal. A further advantage of this construction lies in the fact that by making the lower part smaller in diameter than the upper part it may be raised therethrough, so that the earth and theroots of th'e plant may be conveniently removed;intact,-.1a-feature of value in transplanting the plants inthe bas ket. Since the lower'p'art, which containsthe water, is inclosed withinv the upper-part, the" latter is not in contactwith'the water: con; tained in the lower part, sothatfit maybe made of material, "suchasleatherlio'ard;

which would be disin'tegrated'by the long continued action of standing water. -This f feature is not posse'ssed by the ordinary'form of flower-pot, in which the wateris collected in a saucer in which the pot stands, for in such an arrangement the body of the pot will be partly immersed in the water which collects in the saucer, and hence must be made Serial No. 105,028. (No model.)

water.

The invention comprises the above-described features,together with suchother features of novelty as will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates uponref erence to the following description and claims and the drawings annexed thereto.

In the drawings accompanyipg this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of the complete plant-basket. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the containing-receptacle, Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the water-containing pan, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the plant-basket on a reduced scale.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is constructed as follows: A cylindrical receptacle 2 forms the earth-containing part of the plant-basket. This receptacle is made of leatheraboard of a waterproof and nonates the earth in the basket and prevents it from drippingfrom the basket. It also helps to maintain 'a constant supply of water, making it unnecessary to water the plants as frequ'ently as with other devices of this character The notches .cserve as overflows to prevent the water rising in the pan above a predetermined level; The notches serve also as ventilating-openings through which air may hayeaccess to the earth, a feature of value to the'he'alth of the plants.

' lhe 'parts already described are inclosed in a'framelcornposed of. sticks of wood or other material laid in thefornl of a polygon, the overlap'pinglends of the sticks being fastened together. 'A'handle 9 may be attached to the frame, and the basket may be'suspeiidedfrom a screw-eye a or other sustaining device by a chain It or its equivalent. To steady the hasket, rings b b are provided to attach the chain to the handle at some distance above the top of the body of the basket. The receptacle 6 and panf may be supported on Wires extending across the bottom of the frame.

A feature of the invention consists in the fact that by pushing against the bottom of the pan it may be raised through the body of the plant-basket, expelling the earth and the contained roots in convenient condition for transplanting.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A plant-basket, having, in combination, a containing-receptacle open at both ends, and an imperforate pan contained therein fitting said receptacle, said pan being provided near its edge with a drainage-outlet, substantially as described.

2. A plant-basket, having, in combination, a cylindrical containing-receptacle open at both ends, a frusto-conical pan of less external diameter than the internal diameter of the containing-receptacle, and means forsupporting the receptacle and pan, substantially as described.

3. A plant-basket, having, in combination, a cylindrical contaming-receptacle open at both ends made of heat-non-conducting material, an imperforate pan of waterproof material fitting the said receptacle and closing the bottom thereof, and'a support for said receptacle and pan,substantially as described.

4. A plant-basket, having, in combination, an open-ended receptacle of leather-board and a metal pan inclosed therein and closing the bottom thereof, substantially as described.

5. A plant-basket, having, in combination, an open-ended containing-receptacle, and a pan closing the bottom thereof, the edge of the pan being notched to provide openings between the said receptacle and the pan, substantially as described.

6. A plant-basket, having, in combination, a cylindrical containing-receptacle 6 open at both ends, a panfof less external diameter than the internal diameter of the receptacle, the upper edge of said pan being provided with a series of notches c to afford drainage for the pan, and a supporting-frame (Zinclosing and supporting the receptacle and pan, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW LORD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. SALOMONS, MELVIN B. PIN HAM. 

